Cartridge Filters:

Depending on the fiber or metal which is used, cartridges are available which will filter out all particle matter down to a specified size. For instance, a certain cartridge may be designed to erase all particles larger than 10 microns, or one micron, even 0.1 micron. (Micron is 10-3 millimeters.)

Figure: Cartridge Filter

Cartridge filters have the benefits of being associatively inexpensive to install and operate. The Instruments measure the differential pressure across those filters to let the operator know while a filter is plugged and have to be exchanged. While the cartridges are erased from radioactive systems then the radiation levels could be extremely high. For this purpose, the cartridges might be withdrawn within a shielded cask for moving to a storage area or a solid waste processing area. While the porous metal cartridges become plugged, they could be cleaned ultrasonically and reused. While this is complete, a cleaning solution becomes contaminated and has to be processed as liquid radioactive waste.